Richard Morgan Fletcher

Richard Morgan Fletcher was born in Georgia on March 28, 1814. He was the second child of James Fletcher and his wife Elizabeth Stell. His parents were married January 27, 1811 in Morgan County. By 1823, they lived in Henry County, Georgia where James was elected the first sheriff of that county. James Fletcher died of a lingering illness in 1827, and as the eldest son, much of the work of helping his mother raise a large family fell to Morgan. He faithfully helped his mother until he married at age25.

On December 5, 1839, Morgan married Margaret 3 Lee in Henry County, Georgia. Margaret was the daughter of Samuel Lee and his first wife, Jane. Sammy Lee was a prominent mill owner near McDonough.

Morgan and Margaret had 10 children, nine of whom are known: 1. John Monroe Fletcher was born in Henry Co, Georgia on October 18, 1840 and died in Cass Co, Texas on June 29, 1916. He is buried in Pine Crest Cemetery in Atlanta, Texas. He was the first publisher of the “Citizen’s Journal”. He served in Company K of the 32nd Texas Calvary during the Civil War and was wounded at the battle of Murfreesboro, Tennessee in December of 1862. On December 22, 1873, he married Sarah Lucindy Leftwich in Marion Co, Texas. Sarah was born in Troup Co, Ga on August 28, 1857 to Joel Leftwich and wife, Jane Wise. John and Sarah had 8 children: John William, Margaret R, Daisy Eloise, Jannie, Lucille, Leonia E, Joel Morgan, and Charles Culberson Fletcher.

2. Martha Jane Fletcher was born on August 14, 1842 in Henry Co, Georgia and died in Hunt Co, Texas on October 11, 1919. She is buried at Rosemound Cemetery in Commerce, Texas. She married John J. Lanier during 1860 in Cass Co, Texas. He was the son of Phillip and Winney Lanier. They had one daughter: Ora T. Lanier. J.J. Lanier was killed while serving during the Civil War.

Martha then married Wade H Ray on July 2, 1868 in Cass Co. He was born to William G. Ray and Nancy Young in Georgia on February 11,1842. He died in Hunt Co, Texas on June 8, 1923. They had one daughter: Althea Martin Ray (Allie).

3. James Samuel Fletcher was born in Henry Co, Georgia on February 29, 1844 and died in Cass Co, Texas on October 19, 1917. He is buried at Floyd Hill Cemetery. He served in Company I of the 33rd Texas Calvary during the Civil War. On April 4, 1868 he married Mary Anna Rebecca Penny in Cass Co. Born in Henry Co, Georgia on May 21, 1844, she was the daughter of Hardy Penny and wife Nancy Caldwell. They had 5 children: Francis Eugenia, Emma Lelah, Maggie, Minnie Mary, and Annie R. Fletcher.

After Mary’s death on January 27, 1881, Sam married Roxie A. Elizabeth Hammack on December 29, 1881 in Cass Co. Roxie was born in Georgia in November of 1856 and died in Cass Co on January 9, 1920. She is buried in at Hughes Springs. They two children: an infant daughter who died, and son, Samuel Erby Fletcher.

4. Elizabeth A. Fletcher was born in Henry Co, Georgia during February of 1846 and died in San Angelo, Tom Green Co, Texas on June 17, 1913. She is buried in Evergreen Cemetery at Ballinger, Runnels Co, Texas. She married Thomas J. Watson in Cass Co. on October 15, 1867. He was born in Georgia in March of 1846 to William Watson and wife Martha Hartsfield and died in Jackson Co, Oklahoma on March 2, 1928. They had 5 children: William M, Lula Olive, Hellena L, Thomas Creath, and Ora Adine Watson.

5. William Parks Fletcher was born circa 1848 in Henry Co, Georgia. Little else is known about him except that he came to Texas with his family and preceded both his parents in death.

6. Thomas Jefferson Fletcher was born on December 1, 1849 in Henry Co, Georgia and died on May 10, 1917 in San Angelo, Tom Green Co, Texas. He is buried at Millersview Cemetery in Concho Co, Texas. T.J. lived in Cass County over 45 years before moving his family to west Texas in 1899. He married Frances Mintory Penny in Cass Co, on August 29, 1872. Fannie was the daughter of Hardy Penny and Nancy Caldwell. She was born in Cass Co, Texas on December 8, 1853 and died in Concho Co, Texas on December 5, 193I.They had 5 children: Rhobirda, Parks Lee, John Morgan, Thomas Sloan, and Richard Looney Fletcher.

7. Nancy E. Fletcher was born May 7, 1852 in Henry Co, Georgia and died on July 7, 1897 in Bell Co, Texas. She is buried in Hillcrest Cemetery in Temple, Bell Co, Texas. She married Francis S. Cox in Cass Co. on May 25, 1871. He was born in Alabama on December 20, 1845 to Allen H and Belgonia M Cox and died in Freestone Co, Texas on March 3, 1924. They had 9 children: William Oscar, Emelious Aubrey, Charles S, Minnie Belgonia, Morgan H, George Allen, Maggie Lena, Frank Eugene, and Alice Elizabeth Cox. 8. Robert Stell Fletcher was born on February 2, 1854 in Cass Co, Texas and died on September 4, 1927 in Brown Co, Texas. He is buried at Greenleaf Cemetery in Brownwood, Brown Co, Texas. He married Francis Jane Ray on November 15, 1877 in Cass Co, Texas. She was born to Samuel Young Langston Ray and wife, Emily Pendleton Gilbert on July 24, 1859 in Tallapoosa Co, Alabama. Frances died in Floyd Co, Texas on September 29. 1931 .They had 7 children, 6 of which are known: Roy Ruben, Haydon Cooper, Emma P, Bertie, Allie Ray, and Effie May Fletcher.

9. Henry McCoy Fletcher was born in Cass Co. on February 22,1856 and died in Hale Co, Texas on December 24, 1938. He is buried in Plainview Cemetery in Plainview, Hale Co, Texas. He married Naomi Jane Murphy in Cass Co, on April 8, 1877. She was born in Jonesboro, Georgia on August 2, 1858 to Jeremiah Byrd Murphy and wife Margaret Elizabeth Morris and died in Hale Co, Texas on February 25, 1945. They had 10 children: William Henry, John Morgan, Charles Columbus, Margaret Lee, Alonzo Bird (Lonnie), Robert Stell, Thomas Mark, Mary Elizabeth, Mattie Bell, and Ernest Mack Fletcher. Richard Morgan Fletcher moved his family from Henry Co, Georgia to Cass Co, Texas in 1853. There he purchased 600 acres from William F Young on December 16th. His wife’s brother, Miles Parks Lee was already living in Cass Co, just a few miles away. Morgan was a fanner and did some tannery work as well.

Morgan, Margaret and their two oldest children, John M, and Martha Jane were charter members of the Floyd Hill Baptist Church when it was formed in the early 1850’s. He and his wife remained active members of Baptist churches throughout their lives, as did most of their children.

Morgan’s uncle, John Dennis Stell moved to Texas in 1855 and represented Leon Co in the Texas Legislature. He served as vice president of the Secession Convention in 1861 and with two others, wrote an address to the people of Texas detailing the reasons for seceding from the Union. Later, two of Morgan’s sons and two of his sons-in-law served in the Civil War.

When his son, John, first begin to establish the “Citizen1 s Journal” in 1879, he organized a stock company consisting of 20 of the leading Democrats of the County. Morgan was one of these stockholders and served on the newspaper’s Board of Directors.

In their later years when they were too old to farm actively, Morgan and Margaret spent a number of years with their daughter, Nancy and her family in Bell Co, Texas. Initially, they planned to spend their remaining years there and divided their property in Cass Co. among their children. Later in 1893, they returned to Cass Co, and made their home in Atlanta with son, John.

Richard Morgan Fletcher passed away on August 21, 1893 while visiting his son JS Fletcher at Almira. His wife, Margaret J Fletcher passed away in the home of her son John in Atlanta on February 10, 1897. Morgan and Margaret are buried together in Floyd Hill Cemetery next to the church they helped to found.

– Submitted by Samuel Ross Penny